Design Manager

Overview

About Suffolk

Suffolk is a national enterprise that builds, innovates, and invests. We provide value across the entire project lifecycle through our core construction management services and complementary business lines in real estate investment, design, self-perform construction, and technology start-up investment (Suffolk Technologies). By integrating data, artificial intelligence, and advanced technology through our Seamless Platform, we connect design, construction, and operations to deliver smarter, more predictable results and redefine how America builds. 

Suffolk – America’s Contractor – is a national company with more than $9 billion in annual revenue, 3,000 employees, and 17 offices, including Boston (headquarters), New York City, Miami, West Palm Beach, Tampa, Estero, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas, Herndon, U.S. Virgin Islands, and other key markets. Suffolk manages some of the most complex and transformative projects in the country, serving clients across healthcare, life sciences, education, gaming, aviation, transportation, government, mission critical, and commercial sectors. Suffolk is privately held and is led by founder, chairman and CEO John Fish. Suffolk is ranked #8 on ENR’s list of “Top CM-at-Risk Contractors.” For more information, visit and follow Suffolk on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram. 

At Suffolk, we believe that our total rewards program should offer you and your family the support you need when it matters most. That’s why we have created a program that provides employees with access to a wide variety of options that can be personalized to support you and your loved ones physically, emotionally, and financially. 

Benefits include, competitive salaries, auto allowances and gas cards for certain roles, access to market leading medical and emotional and mental health benefits, dental, and vision insurance plans, virtual care options for physical therapy and primary care, generous paid time off, 401k plan with employer match and access to expert financial resources, company paid and voluntary life insurance, tax deferred savings accounts, 10 backup daycare days each year, short- and long-term disability, commuter benefits and more.  For more information, click here. 

About Suffolk Design

Suffolk’s newly created design vertical, Suffolk Design, aims to disrupt the traditional design delivery process through a proprietary, collaborative, and fully integrated design-build service offering. Illuminate promises to leverage Suffolk’s core construction capabilities, along with innovative technologies and processes to create world-class design-build and design-management services delivering to its clients design excellence with unprecedented levels of efficiency and predictability. 

The Role

The Design Manager will proactively and collaboratively lead integrated teams, made up of both internal and external design and construction professionals, through Illuminate’s optimized, end-to-end design-build management process from design inception to building completion. The ideal candidate will commit themselves to substantially enhancing the efficiency, accuracy, completeness, and speed of the design, documentation, and construction process, and will enthusiastically leverage innovative procedures, tools, and technologies to exceed our client’s expectations.

Responsibilities

Core Design Management

• Responsible for the successful realization of client’s project vision, including performance, programming, cost, and schedule objectives.
• Lead the interface between the Illuminate team, Suffolk operations, external design and industry professionals, trade partners, regulatory agencies, and other project stakeholders to achieve project goals, all the while embracing culture of authentic collaboration and technical competence.
• Maintain and support client relationships during all project phases, ensuring a client-first mentality that encourages both active engagement in and ownership of all design decisions.
• Lead project team meetings, workshops, and other collaborative communications throughout a project’s life cycle.
• Hold self, and teams, accountable for meeting deadlines and trouble-shoot challenges by leveraging the full capacity of interdisciplinary project teams.

Design Process Management

• Lead the development and management of optimized design processes for each project, supporting the efficient, linear delivery of fully coordinated and buildable drawings prior to the start of construction.
• Build upon Suffolk’s world-class construction planning and execution capabilities by strategically aligning documentation development with construction sequencing, supporting streamlined workflows.
• In association with Suffolk preconstruction experts, lead the execution of rigorous, ‘real-time’, project constructability reviews during design process, ensuring that all documentation is complete, coordinated, and buildable prior to the start of construction.
• At key project design milestones, liaise with preconstruction teams to evaluate and validate that cost and schedule align with project objectives.

Illuminate Operations

• Track and report progress towards project milestone completion, staffing allocations, and project financial health.
• In collaboration with Illuminate leadership and the project team, analyze, refine, and test design-construction workflow assumptions in real-time to optimize Illuminate’s process moving forward.
• Leverage and grow Suffolk’s proprietary constructability knowledge database, which serves as a critical input to a proactive QA/QC process throughout design.
• Support Illuminate’s design technology staff in the introduction of automated design and documentation processes and workflows.

Qualifications

• Certification as licensed architect or professional engineer is strongly preferred.
• Professional degree in Architecture or Engineering is required. Advanced degree preferred.
• 8-10 years’ experience in the professional design services industry, with a background in design project management.
• Proven success working on multiple projects and commercial building types, across all project phases.
• Experience managing teams through the duration of the project’s design process, including completion of Construction Documentation (Drawing & Specification).
• Substantial hands-on experience through the full Construction Administration cycle on multiple projects.
• Proficiency with Building Information Modeling platforms, including the Autodesk Suite and other industry standard 3D modeling and analysis software.
• Substantial knowledge of building and zoning codes, entitlement procedures, environmental regulations, and regulatory agency requirements, including those of the Division of the State Architect
• Extensive knowledge of industry standards and resources.
• Shared enthusiasm for executing the Illuminate vision, with a demonstrated willingness to rethink traditional methodologies and to passionately seek out advancements in project delivery outcomes.
• Desire to be part of something bigger than oneself and appreciate the opportunity that Suffolk and Illuminate bring to radically transform the design and construction industry.
• Genuinely collaborative and open to the expert opinions of leading construction and technology industry experts, all the while able to confidently bring technical design knowledge to the discussion.
• Deep awareness and sensitivity to the workings of the design and construction processes, and the ability to interpret and develop creative, technically competent, and constructible solutions to design challenges.
• Demonstrates value-driven design philosophy that incorporates sound business judgement, community benefit and aesthetic excellence.
• Strong management capabilities and proactive leadership qualities that allow for systematic and consistent implementation of standard processes, procedures, and systems across Illuminate and Suffolk’s broader design-build delivery business.
• Self-motivated and able to work as part of a team or independently, depending on the situation.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Inquisitive with a passion for excellence and continual improvement.
• Able to travel, as needed.
• Ability to work and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Must possess Suffolk’s Core Values: Passion, Integrity, Hard Work, Professionalism, and Caring

Working Conditions

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit for long periods of time; talk or hear; perform fine motor, hand and finger skills in the use of a keyboard, telephone, or writing. The employee is frequently required to stands; walk; and reach with arms and/or hands. Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus. The employee will spend their time in an office environment with a quiet to moderate noise level. Job site walking.

EEO Statement

Suffolk provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, national origin, citizenship, genetic information, disability, protected veteran, gender identity, age or any other status protected by law. This policy applies to recruiting, hiring, transfers, promotions, terminations, compensation, benefits, and all other terms and conditions of employment. Suffolk will not tolerate any unlawful discrimination toward, or harassment of, applicants or employees by anyone at Suffolk, or anyone working on behalf of Suffolk.

Compensation Information

Base Salary for this position is just one component of Suffolk’s total compensation package. Actual salaries may be based on several factors including, but not limited to, a candidate's skill set, experience, education and other qualifications. Suffolk offers a comprehensive benefits package as part of its overall compensation strategy.